Hunter's Moon
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU/AH. Sequel to Freedom isn't Free. Damon and Elena are tracking the masked murderer Silas and the only one knows how to stop him is the one person Elena never expected to see again - her twin sister, Katherine, who is currently serving a life sentence in a local women's prison.
1. Chapter 1

**Hunter's Moon**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Hey, guys! I present you with the sequel to "Freedom isn't Free." The plot is this: Damon and Elena are tracking the masked murderer known as Silas and the only one who can help them is the one person Elena thought she'd never see again – her twin sister, Katherine, who is currently serving a life sentence.**_

_**Don't ask, my mind is evil.**_

**Chapter 1**

_Virginia State Women's Prison..._

Elena sighed as she walked into the prison, followed by her husband, Damon. The reports of the masked murderer known as Silas were getting worse by the day, and it became obvious that the body count would keep going up if he wasn't stopped. The police were doing all they could, but Silas was proving to be quite a clever character. In fact, he was even more dangerous than Klaus, Rebekah, Kol, and Mikael put together.

Elena looked over at Damon, taking his hand as they walked. "I appreciate you coming with me, Damon."

"No need to thank me, _amore mia_," he replied. "I know that speaking with your sister isn't going to be easy, so I want to be there for you. After all, you did say in your vows that I'm your savior and your rock, right?"

Elena smiled. "I did, didn't I?" She sighed. "There is another reason I'm doing this, Damon. I want to make sure that Christian and Anastasia feel safe to go to school. Their safety is my top priority as their mother. No matter how old they are, they're still my babies, and I will do anything to make sure that they grow up in a world without fear."

"I'm doing this for them too," said Damon. "No way in hell I'm letting that bastard come near my children."

Elena nodded and said nothing more as they continued their trek. Once through the main entrance, they went to the security desk to hand in their guns and badges and to receive their Visitor tags. Damon had all the faith in the world in his wife that things were going to go smoothly, but since he had never met Katherine before, there was no telling how this meeting would go.

A guard escorted them to the visitation room, which, oddly enough, reminded Elena of the cafeteria she used to have her lunches in at school, except this was a prison. Upon entry, they saw Katherine already seated at the table. She smiled at Damon, licking her lips.

"Well, well," she said. "If I had I was going to be getting such a hot visitor, I would've asked the guard to set up the conjugal visit room for me."

Elena snarled at her sister, not liking the tone she used. "Back off, Katherine, that's my husband you're talking to." She sighed. "Anyway, we didn't came all this way for you to flirt with Damon."

"Of course, how silly of me," said Katherine. "You're here because of Silas, right? I've been hearing a lot about him. Just because I'm here on the inside doesn't mean I don't still hear about what goes on outside." She smirked. "Of course, you do know that I want a reduced sentence, or possibly an early parole in return for my services, don't you?"

"One thing at a time, Katherine," said Damon. "Help us with Silas and _then_ we'll consider giving you what you want."

Katherine smiled. "You're so hot. In fact, it should be illegal to be that hot."

Elena growled at her sister. "Damn it, Katherine, I _told_ you to back off. Do that again and I'll call the guard in here faster than you can blink, got me?" She sighed. "Now, what have you heard about Silas that hasn't already been made public knowledge?"

"You didn't hear this from me, but Silas has a method of killing his victims," said Katherine. "First, he breaks them mentally and, if they haven't been driven to suicide, he uses this very special weapon that he either purchased off the Internet or manufactured himself to make them suffer a slow and very agonizing death."

Elena looked at Damon and then back at Katherine. "Wait, how did you know about that? We haven't been able to figure out what he used on his victims."

"Oh, sweet, simple Elena, you should know that I have my ways," said Katherine. "This prison is populated entirely by women and you know how we girls love to gossip." She laughed. "And, ironically enough, the recent topic around the cell block is Silas. You have no idea how many fangirls he has. Some of them even have sexual fantasies about him."

Elena raised an eyebrow at her sister. "Right. Well, I think we got enough for now. We'll be back when we need more." She gently grabbed Damon's arm. "Come on, let's get the hell out of here."

Katherine smiled as she watched them go. She had to admit, she liked having them there. She had a feeling that they were going to be her favorite visitors.

_Elsewhere..._

Elena placed her gun and badge on her belt and after Damon got his own badge and gun situated, they went toward the exit of the prison. It was a fairly quiet walk until they got to the parking lot, where Elena decided to say something.

"Tell me I wasn't the only freaked out by what just happened today."

"Believe me, I was freaked out too," said Damon. "How the hell did Katherine know all that information? She knows more about the case than _we_ do, and she's not even a _cop_."

"I have no idea," said Elena. "But, at least we got what we came here for." She sighed as she climbed into the car. "I don't know about you, but when I get home, I want to take a nice hot shower to take my mind off Katherine."

Damon climbed on the driver's side and smiled. "Good idea. Mind if I join you?" He wagged his eyebrows at her. "We can have a little fun, since it's been a while we were actually alone together. We have the house to ourselves, since Christian and Ana both have sleepovers at their friends' houses, so maybe we can...you know, misbehave a little? Come on, _amore mia_, you know you want to."

Elena shivered at his words. Shit, he knew just what to say to turn her to putty. Then again, that was one of the many qualities she found so endearing about him. "You know what? I think I just might take you up on that offer, Damon. I think I can use a little sexy time with my sexy husband."

Damon scooted over in the seat and kissed her passionately. Elena returned his kiss and moaned against his mouth before pulling away slightly. "I think we should get home before we get arrested for indecent exposure."

Damon nodded, started the engine and drove away from the prison.

_**Note: Thus begins the sequel to "Freedom isn't Free." **_

_**Tell me what you think! Reviews are love!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Hunter's Moon," Damon and Elena go to the women's prison to consult with Katherine about Silas.**_

_**Wow, three reviews already, that's AWESOME! Thank you so much! No spoilers, just follow along.**_

_Damon & Elena's House – After the Prison Visit..._

Damon stood by the tub, wearing only his bathrobe, running the water for a bath. He knew that Elena said she wanted a shower, but he convinced her to have a nice bubble bath instead, mostly because they had been in a bubble bath together the night they first had sex. He smiled as he remembered that night, the raw emotions, the passion, the heat. Shit, it made him hot all over just thinking about it, and he hoped to relive that today.

He was just adding the bubbles when Elena came in, also dressed only in a bathrobe. She was looking forward to this, and not just because she wanted to take her mind off the bullshit that she endured with Katherine at the prison. No, she was looking forward to it because it meant sexy time with her sexy husband.

Sighing, she said, "You know, I'm having a flashback just watching you."

"You're not the only one," he replied. "I still remember that night as if it were yesterday." He turned off the water, approached his wife and kissed her softly. "I snuck over to your apartment, saw you in the bathroom, and climbed into the tub with you."

Elena returned his kiss. "Yeah, and I wasn't too thrilled to see you either, since you kidnapped me earlier that same day."

Damon smiled against her lips and kissed her again. "I _was_ a bit of a bad boy then, wasn't I?"

"You certainly were," said Elena. "But, you were also the bad boy I fell in love with, and you still are." She kissed him again. "I can't imagine myself being with anyone else but you. If I could do all over again, I'd still pick you." She played with the sash on his robe. "How about we get into that tub before the water gets cold, huh?"

Damon nodded and, kissing her again, moved his hands down to the sash on her robe, untying it, pulling the robe open and sliding it off. Elena untied the sash on his robe and opened it, also sliding it off. Once their robes were off, Damon led her over to the tub, helping her into the water before getting in himself. Damon then pulled her close for another kiss, a deeper, rougher one this time, running his hands up and down her body, sticking them under the water to spread her legs and stick his throbbing cock into her core, earning him a muffled groan from her.

Hearing her groaning, Damon thrust into her slowly at first, but then picked up speed. Elena gyrated her hips in time with his thrusts. Feeling herself getting close to the edge, she threw her head back and let out a scream of pleasure, Damon following suit half a beat later.

Panting, she said, "You're so hot."

"Well, it is hot in here."

Elena laughed. "No, silly, I meant you're sexy." She sighed. "I can see why Katherine hit on you."

Damon, upon hearing that name, placed his index finger on her lips. "Ah, ah, ah. We're taking our minds off her, remember?"

"Right, sorry," said Elena. "But, I'm serious about you being sexy."

"Thank you, _amore mia_," said Damon. "And you're still as incredibly beautiful as you were when I first met you. I wouldn't be surprised if Anastasia rivals you in beauty when she gets older, if she hasn't already rivaled you."

Elena laughed. "Yeah, probably." She nibbled on his bottom lip. "I love you, Damon."

Damon smiled, nibbling her bottom lip. "I love you too, Elena. I'll always love you. I owe you more than you'll ever know."

"You don't owe me anything, baby," said Elena. "Knowing that you're here with me is all the thanks I need."

Damon laughed and kissed her passionately, continuing to thrust into her. Elena returned his kiss and gyrated in time with his movements. In that moment, the world around them seemed to melt away and it was just her and Damon. No Katherine, no hunt for Silas, nothing. All that mattered was the love that they had for each other.

_**Note: Short chapter, yes, but I'm kind of beat, so I'll leave things here. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Hunter's Moon," Damon and Elena take a bath together to take their minds off their meeting with Katherine and relive the bath they took the night they first had sex.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews, guys! You are awesome! No spoilers, except the action takes place about a week later.**_

_**LET THE JOURNEY CONTINUE!**_

_Precinct House – 1 Week Later..._

Damon and Elena sat across from Captain Forbes' desk, holding hands. They were here to give her some heads up on the progress of their case so far, which included the details of their meeting with Katherine at the prison. They didn't have to wait too long, however, because Captain Forbes herself walked in shortly after the two detectives arrived.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting," she said. "I had an urgent matter that needed my attention." She sighed. "So, tell me, did you manage to get any useful information about Silas?"

"Katherine told us a few things that she knew about him," said Elena. "She even told us the method in which he kills his victims. I believe her words were that if they hadn't been driven to suicide by the end of the mental torture, he'd take a weapon that he either purchased on the Internet or manufactured himself to kill them."

"And she knows this how?"

"According to her, she hears things from the other women in the prison," said Damon. "We don't know how accurate the information they gave her, but it's the best we've got for now. We told her we'd visit when we needed more."

Captain Forbes nodded and noticed how uncomfortable Elena was getting as they talked about Katherine. Then, without looking at Damon, she said, "Damon, could you give us a minute? I'd like to speak with your wife in private."

Damon didn't need to ask why, because he saw how uncomfortable she was too and, not about to disobey his boss, he walked out of the office to give them their privacy. Once Damon was gone, Captain Forbes cut right to the chase.

"Elena, I can tell something is bothering you. I'm not going to force you to tell me because I know it's not my business, but I'm not saying this as your boss, I'm saying this as your friend and your sister-in-law's mother."

"Well, it's Katherine," said Elena. "I didn't exactly enjoy reaching out to her after spending a great deal of my life trying to forget about her. She's my sister, yes, but she's also a criminal that I put away. I also didn't like the way she was flirting with Damon the whole time we were visiting her. I told her twice to back off."

"I know that seeing your sister again is hard on you, but I wouldn't have assigned you to the case if I didn't think you'd be able to handle it," said Captain Forbes. "Elena, you've handled cases a hell of lot rougher than this one."

"Yes, but they weren't personal," said Elena. "This one is personal. I was reluctant, but I tried to tell myself that I'm doing this for my children. I want to be able to give them a world that they'd feel safe in. I don't want them to have to worry about evil men like Silas."

"Then, keep focusing on that," said Captain Forbes. "Focusing on the well-being of your children should be helpful. I would know, being a mother myself." Smiling, she changed the subject. "Speaking of, how is Caroline?"

"She's great," said Elena, grateful for the subject change. "She helped us celebrate the twins' birthday not too long ago. Everyone had a great time." She sighed. "Thank you for the talk, Captain. I appreciate it. I don't know what I'd do without you. Hell, I don't know what I'd do without Damon. He's been wonderful throughout this whole thing too."

"Which is why you make a great team. No matter how difficult things get, you have each others' backs," said Captain Forbes. "Now, are you up to getting back to the case?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Elena. "Damon and I aren't going to rest until this case is solved. Even if that means going to see Katherine to ask her for her insight."

That being said, she got up and exited the office, where she found Damon waiting for her, a concerned look on his face. "The captain just wanted to find out what was bothering me. I feel better after talking to her."

Damon nodded. "That's good. I know just how difficult things have been for you because of the case." He then heard his cell phone ring. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. "It's from the District Attorney's office. Wonder what old Ric wants to talk about?"

"Answer it and find out."

Damon nodded again and, placing the phone to his ear, he pressed "SEND." "Salvatore."

"Is this a bad time?"

"No, Ric, it's not," said Damon. "In fact, we were wondering why you never call us anymore." He ran a hand through his hair. "Anyway, to what do we owe the honor of this call?"

"I wanted to know about the Silas case," said Alaric. "Any solid leads so far?"

"Not yet," said Damon. "Though, Elena's sister has agreed to cooperate with us. She did, however, have some requests in return for said cooperation."

"Such as what?"

"The usual things a prisoner would ask for," said Damon. "A reduced sentence or a possible early parole. We told her that before we could consider giving her those things, she had to help us with Silas. Of course, it didn't exactly help that she was eyeing me up like I was the only dessert at the buffet table. If you ask me, she was only doing it to get a rise out of Elena because she knows we're married."

"Well, as long as Silas continues to roam around free, killing innocent people, she stands as much chance of getting a parole as a snowball does in hell," said Alaric. "In any case, you and Elena do your damndest to catch Silas. If I have to hear about one more victim, I might just take a gun and blow my brains out."

"I promise, Ric, Silas is as good as caught."

Elena studied Damon's face as he hung up and said, "What did Ric say?"

"He wants us to do our damndest to catch Silas." _I don't think she needs to hear the part about him wanting to blow his brains out, even if it was meant to be funny,_ he added in his mind.

Elena nodded. She had a feeling that Damon wasn't telling her everything, but decided to take him at his word for now.

_**Note: Been a while since my last update (the last time being March 5), but I thought I'd treat you guys to a new chapter. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Hunter's Moon," Damon and Elena meet with Captain Forbes to give their status report on the case.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews so far! No spoilers, just keep reading!**_

_Damon & Elena's House – 2 Days Later..._

Damon whistled as he made pancakes for the family. Even though he and Elena had to go to the prison to visit with Katherine again, he thought that he'd make breakfast for everyone. He was still cooking when he caught sight of Christian and Anastasia coming downstairs, Elena following along after them. Damon saw the look on his wife's face, which told him that she wasn't looking forward to seeing Katherine. It also told him that she wished that they could just find some remote island and forget about the bullshit with not only Katherine, but also Silas.

He was about to say something when Christian spoke up.

"That smells great, Dad."

"Thank you, son," his father replied. "I'm making pancakes for everyone. I figure that it's been a while since the last time I made breakfast for my family, so today, I thought I'd make pancakes, since I know that's your favorite."

"Is this because Mom's upset?"

"No," said Damon. "What makes you think I'm making breakfast because your mother's upset?"

"We heard her complaining as we went by your room earlier," said Anastasia, answering the question for her brother. "She said that she wished that she didn't have to go to that damn prison to talk to that horrible bitch."

Elena, having heard what her daughter said, immediately responded before Damon did. "Anastasia Rose Salvatore, that language isn't appropriate for little girls. And, for your information, I wasn't complaining. I was simply telling your father my opinion about the case we're working."

"If it's so inappropriate, how come you can say it?"

Elena hated to admit it, but Anastasia did raise a valid point. "You're right, I'm not setting a good example for either you or your brother. But, I guess sometimes, we all have to do things that we don't like. I may not like the fact that we have to go to the prison, but it's necessary."

Christian raised an eyebrow. "If you don't like going there, why do you do it?"

"A lady from Mommy's past is serving time there," said Elena. "She has information that we need to catch the bad man that's hurting all these people." _I hope that was subtle enough. Christian and Anastasia have no idea that Katherine is their aunt, and I'm not even sure that Katherine knows that Damon and I have children. The only thing she knows is that we're married._

Damon saw that Elena wasn't entirely comfortable with the line of questioning that the children were using, so he decided to come to his wife's aid. "Guys, go set the table, okay? I'll be dishing breakfast in a little bit."

Christian and Anastasia nodded and did as they were told. Elena smiled at her husband. "Thank you, Damon. I honestly didn't know how I was going to get through that. I'd hate to lie to my own children, but how do you explain the complexity of a case like this to a pair of ten-year-olds?"

"You're not lying to them," said Damon. "You're telling them the truth without the _whole_ truth."

"It _feels_ like lies, though."

"I know, and I don't like it any more than you do," said Damon. "I guess sometimes you have to lie to protect the ones you love."

Elena nodded and said nothing more as she went to Damon's side, hugging him and gently kissing his cheek. She went to walk away, but Damon grabbed her and kissed her passionately, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair. They broke the kiss a few minutes later and Elena gazed into his blue eyes with her brown ones.

"I love you, Damon."

Damon smiled. "I love you too, _cara mia_."

_Virginia State Women's Prison – Later..._

Elena tried to keep a stoic face as she and Damon arrived at the prison. She wondered just what they were in for today, simply because Katherine might not want to discuss Silas, but something else entirely, like how good Damon looked in his blazer and jeans ensemble, or some other bullshit.

_Just don't let her rattle you, _she thought. _She's not the one calling the shots here, you are._

No sooner did she complete that thought than she saw a well-dressed man standing by the security window. That's funny, Katherine didn't have any other visitors aside from her and Damon, so who the hell was_ this _guy?

"Detectives," he said. "Katerina told me that you'd be coming by today and to wait for you."

Elena looked at Damon and then at the man. "Wait, who are you and how do you know Katherine?"

"Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself first. I'm Elijah and..."

Damon spoke then. "Wait a second, I think I know you. You're Klaus' brother, aren't you?"

"I am, unfortunately," said Elijah. "And I'd like to express how sorry I am that my family caused you so much pain. I also like to assure that I'm not here to cause trouble. Unlike Niklaus, Rebekah, Kol, and my father, I'm here to help _save_ lives, not destroy them." He saw the look of doubt on Damon's face. "You don't trust me, and I can't say I blame you. Given what you went through from the time you were fifteen, I'd imagine that seeing me is the last thing you expected."

"I believe my wife asked you a question," said Damon, changing the subject. "How do you know Katherine? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"I have feelings for her, yes," said Elijah. "Katerina wants very much to be part of society again."

"She has to help us with Silas first before we can help her with that," said Elena. "She's the only one with information on how to stop him before any more innocent blood is shed. Elijah, in my career, I've seen a lot of shit, and some of it is bad enough to make your hair stand on end. As much as I wish that we could ask someone else to help us, we can't."

"That's also why I'm here," said Elijah. "Katerina feels that because she's in here, I can be of use to you. I have heard some things about Silas myself, and if you'd let me, I can tell you what I know." He looked at Damon. "I know that you'd rather make me join my family in hell, but I wasn't lying when I said that I'm not here to destroy lives." He took out a badge. "I'm with the FBI."

Elena looked at Damon as well. "That badge looks authentic. I think we should trust him, Damon. I know that you'd rather not have anything to do with him, given your history with his family, but he's willing to help us with the case."

Damon scowled at Elijah and then looked at his wife. "Well, I may have no reason to trust him, but for you, I'll let him help us." He saw that Elena was about to speak and placed his index finger on her lips before looking at Elijah. "We'll let you help us in our investigation, Elijah, but I have a few conditions."

Elijah nodded. "And they are?"

"One, don't threaten my wife. If you do, I'll descend upon you so fast, you'll barely have time to blink," said Damon. "Two, once Silas is caught and the case is over, we go our separate ways. You and Katherine can ride off into the sunset for all I care, but I want you gone."

"I accept your conditions," said Elijah. "Once the case is over, you'll never see or hear from me again. I also agree to not do anything to threaten your wife."

Damon nodded and reluctantly shook the older man's hand. Elena watched this and couldn't help but get the feeling that things were about to get even more complicated.

_**Note: Chapter 4 is complete! Can Damon and Elena trust Elijah? Stay tuned and see!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story belongs to me.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Hunter's Moon," Damon and Elena go back to the prison, where they meet Elijah, an FBI agent that Katherine has asked to help them with their mission to stop Silas.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews, guys! You're awesome!**_

_Virginia State Women's Prison – After the Encounter with Elijah..._

Elena held Damon's hand firmly in hers as they proceeded to the visitation room, looking behind her to see Elijah following them. Although it was still unclear as to why Katherine would ask an FBI agent, let alone someone who was related to Klaus, to help with the search for Silas, the thing that was clear was that Katherine had some explaining to do, even if Elena hated to ask her.

Upon arrival, they saw that Katherine was already there, sitting in her usual spot. Shen smiled as she saw her sister, Damon, and Elijah, pleased that everything was working thus far.

"I see you two have met Elijah," she said. "I'll bet you weren't expecting me to have an FBI agent helping me from the outside, were you?"

"That's exactly what we're here to discuss, Katherine," said Elena. "More importantly, what do you expect to gain from all this, aside from the reduced sentence or early parole that you want in exchange for helping us with Silas?" She scowled at the other brunette. "You're sleeping with Elijah, aren't you? You're asking him to help us in exchange for sexual favors."

Elijah gave Elena a quizzical look. "Detective Gilbert, I can assure you that Katerina isn't using me for her own personal gain. It is true that I see to it that her needs are met, but it's not in exchange for helping you with Silas. I realize that it is your duty to examine things from every angle, but I'm afraid I must discourage you from what you're suggesting here."

"I agree with him," said Katherine. "My intentions here are genuine. Why would I ask Elijah to help you if all I wanted was to satisfy my sexual desires? While the idea does sound tempting, it would defeat the purpose of me cooperating with you while you hunt for Silas."

Damon decided to speak before things went south. "We've discussed things with Elijah before we came in here and we have agreed to accept his help. Of course, this agreement wasn't without its conditions."

"You don't have to explain what conditions those were, Damon," said Katherine. "I heard the whole conversation. You don't want Elijah to threaten Elena, and you want us to go our separate ways once the case was solved. Your conditions will be abided by. Elijah isn't like Klaus, Rebekah, Kol, or Mikael. He's taken an oath to bring down criminals, just like you and Elena have."

Damon and Elena looked at each other. How the hell could Katherine have heard their conversation when they weren't even near the door of the visitation area? The only way that could've been possible was if she had turned on an intercom. Of course, they weren't about to ask anything to that effect, because Katherine would probably deny it.

"Now, if you're finished voicing your reservations, I believe we still have a dangerous man on the loose and every minute we waste is another opportunity for him to hunt another victim," said Elijah. "Katerina has informed me about Silas' methods, as well as the weapon he uses if his victims aren't driven to suicide after he mentally tortures them."

"Yeah, we know about that too," said Elena. "The only thing is, where and when is he going to strike next so that we can be there to prevent him from making another kill?"

"Where has he struck before?"

"Mostly in places away from prying eyes, like alleyways, or abandoned warehouses," said Elena. "That's where we found the first two victims. He could use those locations again, or he could use somewhere different."

"The victims are usually young, probably in their late teens, early twenties," said Damon. "He's also not very gender-specific. The first victim was an eighteen-year-old girl, and the second was a twenty-two-year-old man."

Katherine smirked. "In other words, he's an equal opportunity killer. That's pretty convenient."

"Maybe, but it doesn't make things any less painful for the families of the victims when they find out that their loved ones were never coming home alive," said Damon. "I don't know about you, but if I have to see another mother become hysterical with grief or another father swear vengeance, I don't want to be held responsible for my actions."

Elena squeezed Damon's hand in reassurance. She felt the exact same way he did at that moment. There was nothing worse than seeing a mother going into hysterics, or a father threatening to take matters into his own hands. Personally, she was looking forward to a well-deserved vacation once this case was solved.

_**Note: Short update, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else to put here, so I have to end Chapter 5 here. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Hunter's Moon," Katherine explains her reasons for wanting Elijah to help Damon and Elena with finding Silas.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! My apologies for the late update, real life has been busy lately, and other writings were demanding my attention. Anyway, I'm here now, so let's get this chapter rolling.**_

_**ON WITH THE SHOW!**_

_Bailey's Diner – Later on..._

"So, do you think we should trust Elijah?"

Elena had a skeptical look on her face as she and Damon sat at the table in the diner they pulled into after the leaving the prison. She was obviously conflicted about her sister's plan, and rightfully so. The woman was a convicted murderer who was pretending to help them so that she could get what she wanted.

"To be honest, Elena, I really don't know," he replied. "Given my experience with his family, I highly doubt that Elijah is trustworthy. In fact, Katherine isn't exactly the picture of trustworthiness herself. I'm even having second thoughts about granting her requests after we catch Silas."

"You're not the only one, trust me," said Elena. "It's just...I don't get why we can't just have a normal life. Why the hell couldn't we just go somewhere that crime didn't exist and that we didn't have to worry about people like Katherine, Silas, or Elijah and his family?" She sighed. "Damon, I don't think I can do this anymore. I thought I could handle being a cop and save the innocent from those who would do them harm? Now, I'm not so sure."

Damon placed a gentle hand on his wife's hand. "Tell you what, after this bullshit with Silas is over, we can retire from the force and then we can take the kids and move away. Hell, I can probably convince my mom to sell her house in Atlanta so that she can move with us and be closer to her grandchildren."

"That's kind of jumping the gun a little, wouldn't you say, Detective Salvatore?"

Damon and Elena were startled by a familiar voice and turned to see Elijah sitting at the next table. What the hell was he doing there?

"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know," said Damon. "And what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Katherine at the prison? I hear she loves conjugal visits, and since you two are a couple, I thought you'd take advantage of it."

"I am completely aware of what Katerina likes," said Elijah. "To answer your first question, I'm here because I'm doing what I was hired to do."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, help us with Silas, we get it," said Damon. "Just don't think that because we're working together that we're going to be friends, because we sure as hell aren't. We don't trust you, and we probably won't either. So, you do your thing, we do ours."

Elijah nodded. "Fair enough. And if you're worried that I'm going to go back on my word, I can assure you that nothing like that is going to happen. Elena will come to no harm." He cleared his throat. "Though, I will have to ask you if I can stay with you at your house. I'm having my apartment fumigated for termites and I need a place to stay until it's done."

"I'm sure you can find a hotel," said Damon. "After all, you FBI guys make a shit load of money, right?"

Elena listened to this and said, "If we let you stay with us, what's the catch?"

"No catch," said Elijah. "I just need a place to stay for a few days. I won't be a bother."

Elena looked at Damon and before she could say something, she heard her cell phone go off. "Hold that thought. I need to take this." She pressed "SEND" and placed the phone by her ear. "Gilbert."

"We just got word that Silas has struck again," said Captain Forbes. "A witness saw him flee from an apartment a few miles from where you are."

"All right, we're on our way." She hung up and looked at the two men. "That was Captain Forbes. Silas just claimed another victim. An eyewitness saw him flee from the apartment not too far from where we are."

Damon nodded. "I guess it's true about there not being any rest of the wicked, huh?" He gave Elijah a look. "Looks like you're about to show us what you're capable of, FBI Guy. Yeah, that's right, you're FBI Guy from now on. Somehow, I don't think you deserve to have me say your name."

Elijah nodded as well and got out some money, placing it on their table. "Your meal is on me, Detectives." He stood up and went outside. "I'll be waiting for you by my car."

Damon and Elena looked at each other in amazement. He actually paid for their meals, which was odd, considering that they didn't ask him to pay for them. However, since they had a call to get to, there was no time to be trying out to figure out the reason behind his motives.

_Pine Meadow Apartments – Several Minutes Later..._

The scene of Silas' latest murder was just crawling with CSU people when Damon and Elena arrived, followed closely by Elijah. Underneath the sheet on the living room floor was the victim, who was being looked at by Anna Char, the medical examiner and an old friend of theirs.

"This is _definitely_ Silas' doing," she said before anyone could say a word. "Poor girl didn't even have a prayer against him." She ran a hand through her hair. "If I had to estimate time of death, I'd say it was anywhere between an hour to half an hour ago. The blood on the floor is still fresh."

Elena nodded. "My God. It's crime scenes like this that _really_ make me look forward to retirement."

Anna nodded as well and then examined the victim's head. "Looks like he hit her with a blunt object, like a baseball bat. No doubt he wanted her to suffer." She bit her lip. "I'll have to get her to the lab for an autopsy."

Elijah listened to this and went over to the doorknob. Damon saw him looking at it. "Got anything?"

"There are no signs of forced entry," the older man replied. "Silas tricked her into letting him in and it wasn't long until he attacked and murdered her." He looked at the pictures adorning the apartment. "She was a ballet dancer and she was in the middle of rehearsing for either a recital or a competition."

"How did he trick her?"

"He pretended to be either her lover or a family member," said Elijah. "Serial killers sometimes disguise themselves to fool their victims." He looked at the victim again. "Why Silas chose her as his victim remains a big mystery. But, that doesn't mean we won't find out.

_**Note: I didn't know what else to put here, so I'll end Chapter 6 here. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Hunter's Moon," Damon, Elena, and Elijah encounter yet another victim in the Silas case.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews! I know this update is late, but inspiration has been lacking lately. However, I haven't abandoned this story. No spoilers, just follow along.**_

_Office of Dr. Anna Char – Several Hours Later..._

Damon and Elena walked into Anna's office, Elijah following them. This latest victim of Silas' had them baffled and they needed to know her identity, as well as the reason he had chosen her. Even though there didn't necessarily have to be a reason, it couldn't hurt to know if there was. Anna looked up from the body as the trio entered, seeing the anxious look on all their faces.

"Your victim's name is Giselle Carson, and she was definitely a ballet dancer, as Agent Mikaelson stated at the scene."

Elena nodded. At least they knew who she was, even if telling the parents was going to be hell. "You said that Silas killed her using a blunt object. That contradicts what Katherine told us." She saw Anna look at her curiously. "Long story, and I'm in no mood to get into it. Back to the victim, aside from the method he used, did he..."

"Rape her? No, he didn't, even though I did check her genitals to be sure," said Anna. "Silas likes to make his victims suffer, but somehow, I think rape is something he considers beneath him, for lack of a better term."

"Doesn't make her attack any less brutal," said Damon. "He tricked her into thinking he was a friend of hers, possibly a lover, or even a family member." He sighed and then looked at Elijah. "So, FBI Guy, what do you think is our best course of action?"

"We could see if she's part of a pattern," said Elijah. "Maybe she's linked to the other murders."

"Silas targets young victims, and Giselle fits his M.O.," said Elena. "She's in her early twenties, I'd say twenty-two or twenty-three at the most, and she lives alone, which would make her an easy target. Serial killers often go after victims that live alone, even though cases of the roommates getting killed in an attempt to not leave any witnesses are common." She sighed. "Still, I can't help but get the feeling that Silas is doing this to get our attention."

"Me too," said Damon. "He's a nasty bastard, this Silas." He looked at the victim. "It makes me sick knowing that Giselle Carson had to die just for the purpose of taunting us."

Elena nodded. She also looked at the victim, cringing at the Y-shaped incision on her chest. It reminded her of the victims that Damon left behind when he was working for Klaus, even if he had been forced into it under the threat of death. This brought another thought to her mind: What if Silas wasn't committing these crimes alone? What if he had an accomplice that was helping him? It was unlikely, but it was a legitimate thought.

Damon noticed that Elena was quiet. "Penny for your thoughts, babe?"

His question brought her out of her reverie. "Oh, uh, I was just thinking about something. I know this is probably going to sound far fetched, but what if Silas isn't acting alone here? What if he has someone working for him and he's taking all the credit for it?"

"You think he has an accomplice?"

"I don't know," said Elena. "I mean, I could be wrong, but it's a theory."

"Actually, Detective Gilbert, it's not a bad theory," said Elijah. "We could be looking at _two_ people committing the Silas murders."

Anna listened to this and then chimed in with her own thoughts. "I think I may have something that help with your theory." She presented them with a piece of hair that she had found on the victim. "I found this before you arrived. It's a hair that was on Giselle's body. While no one knows exactly what Silas looks like, perhaps this piece of black hair will tell us about the accomplice."

"How did this hair get on our victim?" Elena was quite puzzled by the new piece of evidence that they were being presented with. For all she knew, this hair could belong to just about any man (or woman) in the state, or the country, or even the world.

"It's possible that it landed on her body post mortem, as the accomplice's calling card," said Anna. "Or it could be Silas' hair, which might give us a clue to his true identity."

"Maybe, but we'll have to take it to the forensics lab and have them look at it," said Damon. "While we're at it, we'll do a check through CODIS, and see if it matches anyone. We find the person this piece of hair belongs to, we'll find Silas' accomplice."

_Later..._

Elena looked at the evidence bag while she, Damon, and Elijah walked to the cars upon exiting the ME's office. She hadn't really expected this new piece of evidence to turn up, especially not at this stage in the case. However, she wondered if _Katherine_ knew about any of this, being as how she was supposed to be helping.

"You're wondering if Katerina would be able to tell us about the possible accomplice, aren't you?"

Elijah's question brought her out of her reverie. "It wouldn't hurt to ask her, as much as I don't enjoy the trip to the prison."

"I suppose," said Elijah. "Now, I didn't get an answer to what I had suggested at the restaurant before we got the call."

"Yes, you did," said Damon. "I told you that you weren't welcome in our house. If you're worried about getting a place to crash while you're having your apartment fumigated, I'm sure you can afford a hotel, what with all the money you make doing what you do."

Elena shook her head as she watched Damon get into the car and then looked at Elijah. "I'm sorry, Elijah."

"Don't make excuses for him, Elena," said Elijah. "Damon has every right to act this way around me. I may not have been involved in what happened to him, I am guilty by association. He doesn't trust me, and I don't blame him. If I were him, I probably wouldn't trust me either."

"Even so, he doesn't have to treat you like this," said Elena. "True, your family is a bigger slime of humanity than perhaps the Nazis as far as Damon is concerned, but you have more honor than that. You're part of the FBI because, as you said when we met at the prison, you want to save lives instead of destroying them."

"I appreciate that," said Elijah. "But, I think you should still keep your guard up, especially around me."

Elena was about to answer him when he got in his car and drove off. His last words to her were a bit unsettling. Was he trying to warn her or just giving her advice? Either way, she felt an uneasy feeling coursing through her.

_**Note: Chapter 7 is ready to go! Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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